She Said: A Passionate Kiss [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 16
Qiang Huai watched Gu Pingwan nibbling at her food in small bites, and for a moment, she was taken back to their high school days.
She remembered one time during P.E. class when the two of them went to fetch sports equipment together. The summer sun was harsh and blinding, and the rubber track reeked from the heat.
Qiang Huai stood at the door of the equipment room, raising her hand to block the glare. Gu Pingwan followed behind.
“Gu Pingwan, I want to tell you a secret,” Qiang Huai said, curling her finger to beckon. The eaves cast a shadow over them as they stood in the shade.
Gu Pingwan wiped the sweat off her face with a wet wipe, looking puzzled. “Hmm?”
Qiang Huai whispered, “Come a bit closer, I don’t want anyone to hear.”
Gu Pingwan leaned in, bringing her ear near Qiang Huai’s lips—only for Qiang Huai to plant a quick kiss on her cheek like a dragonfly skimming the water.
“You—!” Gu Pingwan was completely stunned. She covered her cheek, now flushed crimson.
Qiang Huai grinned smugly, tilting her ankle playfully. “Oops, I lost my balance. Sorry.”
Gu Pingwan didn’t believe that excuse and walked into the equipment room to grab a basketball and some ping-pong balls.
“Sorry, really, it wasn’t on purpose.” Qiang Huai noticed she might’ve gone too far and quickly apologized. “Here, sticky rice for you. I’m really sorry.”
She offered it sincerely, realizing she’d crossed a line.
Gu Pingwan, holding the basketball in her left arm, took the sticky rice with her right. She unwrapped the plastic and took a bite. “Mmm, it’s good.”
Immediately after that, during P.E. class, Gu Pingwan had a stomachache from indigestion for the rest of the day.
…
Later, Qiang Huai found out that there was a security camera outside the equipment room—their actions had already been caught on tape.
“Are you planning to go back to work at the research institute?” Qiang Huai pulled herself out of the memory.
Gu Pingwan nodded, then shook her head. “Not sure. The pay at the institute isn’t great, and my mom…”
She paused, then rephrased, “The financial pressure’s a bit heavy right now, so I’m still thinking it over.”
“Does saying this make me sound like I lack ambition?” she added, lowering her head.
“Not at all,” Qiang Huai replied immediately. “What you’re doing now is really meaningful.”
She started listing the future impact of the app, how it could help countless people in vulnerable communities.
“So, in every field, people can shine,” Qiang Huai said, picking up her teacup. “Because you’re Gu Pingwan.”
Gu Pingwan blushed from the compliment. “Thank you, Qiang Huai.”
“How’s your mom doing?” Qiang Huai shifted the topic.
“She’s out of the hospital now. Just needs to go for chemo a few times a week,” Gu Pingwan said as the dishes arrived. She placed the chef’s recommended dish in front of Qiang Huai.
Qiang Huai took a small bite with her chopsticks. “Classmate Gu, more than anyone, I really hope you can stick to your dreams.”
She knew how much Gu Pingwan loved her work at the institute. Even in high school, she had been obsessed with astronomy and computing—after all these years, that passion was still there.
Gu Pingwan sighed. “This world was never fair to us to begin with.”
“If you want to stand out, you have to give up on yourself. But if you want to be yourself, you lose everything else.”
Qiang Huai looked at Gu Pingwan and felt an inexplicable ache in her heart.
She didn’t know how to offer comfort. Dreams and futures were mountains too high to measure.
Family burdens couldn’t be changed easily, but they also shouldn’t become shackles.
“No matter what you decide, I’ll be here to support you,” Qiang Huai said, though she felt her words a bit powerless. Against fate, we’re all just bones scattered on a lonely road, overgrown with weeds, abandoned and forgotten.
After finishing the meal, Qiang Huai called for the driver to pick them up.
Just then, Junjun sent her a message: “Huaihuai, I found out everything you asked me to about Gu Pingwan’s recent years.”
Qiang Huai glanced at Gu Pingwan, who was lightly kicking at pebbles in front of her, and replied to the message: “What is it?”